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ISO 50001 Energy Management Standard

The ISO 50001 energy management standard is a proven framework for industrial facilities, commercial facilities, or entire organizations to manage energy—including all aspects of energy procurement and use. An energy management system establishes the structure and discipline to implement technical and management strategies that significantly cut energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions—and sustain those savings over time. Savings can come from no- to low-cost operational improvements.

Manufacturers, corporations, utilities, energy service companies, and other organizations are using ISO 50001 to reduce costs and carbon emissions. More than 7,300 sites worldwide achieved ISO 50001 certification by May 2014—increasing 234% in just over a year [1]. The growth of ISO 50001 is expected to accelerate as an increasing number of companies integrate ISO 50001 into their corporate sustainability strategies and supplier requirements.

Tools and resources are available to assist organizations as they embark on this rewarding pathway to energy savings, carbon reduction, improved competitiveness, and other benefits. Learn more:

Potential Energy Savings

If widely adopted, the voluntary ISO 50001 standard could influence up to 60% of the world's energy use across many economic sectors. Factors expected to drive broad adoption of ISO 50001 include the growth of corporate sustainability programs and the spread of energy management standards along the manufacturing supply chain. Companies may also find the resulting energy and carbon reductions increasingly valuable as a means to comply with possible carbon reduction initiatives or to enhance their corporate environmental practices.

Industrial facilities are reducing their energy costs by 10% within 18 months of achieving certification to ISO 50001 and Superior Energy Performance™ (SEP). SEP is a certification and recognition program for facilities demonstrating energy management excellence and sustained energy savings. Read a cost-benefit assessment on initial implementation results.

1 Time period covering March 2013 to May 2014. Data from R. Peglau, Germany Federal Environment Agency, May 2014.